Improvement in paper-feeding apparatus



c. A. MA'XFIELD.`

iPauper-Funding Apparatus.

Patented May 4, i875.

THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOT0 :MTH-391:41 PARK PLAGEJLY.

I CHARLES A. MAXFIELD, OF NEW YORK,'N. Y.

IMPRGVEWENT IN PAPER-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l; dated May 4, 1875;application filed September 22, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GHARLEs A. MA XFnrLD, ofthe city of New York, in the county and State of New lYork, haveinvented certain Improvements in Automatic Paper-Feeding Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specificatlon:

This invention is an improvement on the automatic paper-feedingapparatus patented to John H. Darlington,` which patent bears dateJanuary 13, 1874, and is numbered 146,322; and although its leadingfeature, namely, the endless friction-bands for propelling the blanks byfrictional contact, is substantially the same as that described andclaimed in the above-named patent, it nevertheless differs from thesa-id patent materially in the means employed to regulate the deliveryof the blanks successively one by one.

But, to describe my invention, I will refer to the accompanying drawingsforming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a transversesectional elevation of the apparatus adapted to feeding papercollarsinto any press or machine, not shown in the drawings, in which they aresub- `)ected one by one to any desired operation, such as printing,punching, embossing, or creasing, Sto. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation 5 andFig. 3 is a plan view. i

a a are two sideframes, which support a horizontal plate, b, and affordbearings for the shaft c, the roller e, and rock-shaft t. The shaft ccarries the three pulleys c1 c2 c3, by which the endless friction-bandsf, f1, and freceive their motion, thev bands being stretched over thesepulleys and the roller e, and passing over the ridge x, which is fixedto the top of the plate b. rlhe rock-shaftt carries two reciprocatingcams, g g, and receives its rocking motion by an arm, i', secured to oneend of it, which is connected' to the main shaft of the press, or othermachine, to which this apparatus is auxiliary. On the shaft c are twoloose sleeves, m m, one between the pulleys c1 and c2, and one betweenthe pulleys c2 and c3. Each of these sleeves is provided with two arms,m1 and m2. The arms m1 m1 extend over the top of the plate b, and up tothe ridge and the other arms m2 m2 pass under the plate b and to theshaft t', where they come in contact with the cams g g, by which theyare raised. and lowered upon motion being given to the rock-shaft i. Y

The pile of blanks vlc is placed upon the endless ybands f f1 f2,between the two standards-Z l, which are so located as to cause the tipof the ridge :v to be in about the cen` ter ot' the width of the blanks.This is for the purpose of preventing the friction-bands f, f1, and f7lfrom rubbing and injuring the edges ofthe blanks.

When the armsrm-m1 are being raised by the cams g g they will raise thewhole pile of blanks out of contact with the friction-bands, and whenthey are lowered, iu which position they are shown at Fig. l, the blanksk rest upon the friction-bands, which by their motion will carry forwardthe bottom blank of the pile under the guides t l', which have theirlower ends beveled off so as to assist in separating the blanks, as thebottom one is being removed. These guides L l are fastened to thestandards t Z by screws passing through slots in the standards, so thatthe guides l' l may be adjusted to leave only sufficient space underthem to let one blank pass through at a time.

As soon as thefriction-bands have -carried a blank beyond the ends ofthe arms m1 ml, the said arms are raised and lift the remainder of thepile of blanks, thus relieving the rst blank already in motion from allpressure, and preventing the bands f, f1, and f2 from rubbing, andthereby defacing the next blank. To enable the arms m1 m1 to lift thepile of blanks evenly, each one has a side extension, y y, attached toit, which passes sidewise over the bands fand f2, and then turns forwardto reach under the ends of the blanks.

In some cases it may be advisable to reverse the construction of theapparatus, and have the friction-bands on the top of the pile of blanksto feed oft' the top of the pile. For

that purpose the blanks may be held up in Contact with thefriction-bands by a counter- Weight; or any suitable feeding-mechanism,

and f2, lifting-arms ml m1, ridge w, and adjustable guides l l',substantially' as hereinand the arms m1 m1 should force the pile ofbefore set forth. blanks downward out; of Contact with thefriction-bands.

I claim- The combination of the friction-bands f, f1,

CEAS. A. MAXFIELD. Witnesses:

ALFRED SHEDLooK, WILLIAM J. SHEDLOGK.

